DAVE THOMPSON

Dave Thompson’s work revisits a classic era of poster design, recreated in the vibrant tones of 1950s travel art. Based in Southsea, Portsmouth he certainly knows how to capture a mood with his images that depict key sites in the island city he has called home for the past 30 years.

‘We came here 30 years ago from Newcastle. We had just finished a three month road trip of America and wanted to settle by the sea, and Southsea fitted the bill perfectly’

Dave has worked as a commercial artist for many years with advertising agencies and for the past 20 years as a freelance illustrator.

‘When I started out, cut and paste was exactly that, you cut things out with a scalpel and glued them down to build up an image. You can achieve so much on the Mac now but I’m glad I have an art school background.’

‘I work from good photographic references and build up the image that way. My pictures are quite architectural. The skill is in taking the photography right back to basics, what’s left out is often more important than what is left, it’s about strong lines and shadows.’

His style has been influenced by the artists who were famous for creating the travel posters for the London Underground, admiring the work of Norman Wilkinson. However this appreciation isn’t simply pedestrian, as he was himself commissioned to create a series of illustrations for London Transport over a number of years.

His views of Portsmouth and beyond have proved so popular that his body of work now includes scenes across the country and beyond. Looking to the future Dave has more local and national scenes to capture as the interest and commissions for his work continues to grow.